a laboratory for creative research + community engagement

Building a Dynamic Future for Dance in Vermont in Year Two of Vermont Performance Lab’s SEED Program

on 27 October 2016.

Guilford, Vermont – In 2015 Vermont Performance Lab (VPL) launched the SEED Program in response to a growing need for more comprehensive support for dance artists working in New England. Now about to embark on year two, VPL’s SEED Program will deepen its commitment to Vermont artists by offering support to professional dance-makers residing in the state of Vermont who are seeking to develop new performance projects for small scale touring. VPL is now accepting applications for SEED – artists can apply online at vermontperformancelab.org/seed and applications are due December 1, 2016.

For ten years, VPL has provided artists with residencies and support to research and develop new work in dance, theater, film and music. “The SEED Program was designed to cultivate a stronger ecology for dance in our region by connecting artists with tools and resources that build their work and capacity,” says VPL Director Sara Coffey. The pilot SEED Program was rooted in a dance-residency exchange with Studio 303 in Montréal, and it supported the development of four performance projects (two from New England, and two from Québec), fostered cultural exchange, and built visibility for local choreographers by launching their work into other communities.

Marlboro, VT – Vermont Performance Lab (VPL) in association with Marlboro College presents a work-in-progress performance, ACTION MOVIE, by the multi-disciplinary and shamelessly sensational three-woman performance collective WIVES. Hailing from Montréal as part of VPL’s dance-residency exchange with Studio 303, WIVES will be in residency with VPL at Marlboro College for a week to film on location and develop new movement material.

In ACTION MOVIE, WIVES examine the mass appeal of action movies from a feminist perspective and survey what kind of excitement can be had without the threat of violence, rape, or torture. On Wednesday, October 19 at 7:00pm, VPL will present an IN THE WORKS showing of ACTION MOVIE in the Serkin Center for Performing Arts at Marlboro College in Marlboro, VT followed by a post-performance conversation with the artists. This event is free and reservations are not required.

Exploring the gun dilemma through percussion, movement, and text, September 23 + 24 at 7:00pm

on 02 September 2016.

Brattleboro, VT – Vermont Performance Lab presents the innovative percussion quartet Sō Percussion this September with choreographer Emily Johnson and Director Ain Gordon to embark on the last phase of their multi-part residency to support the development and presentation of A Gun Show.

A Gun Show is a multidimensional meditation on guns in America. “We originally set to work on it as a way to process our emotions after the unfathomable school shootings in Newtown, CT” writes Sō Percussion. Known for redefining the scope of the modern percussion ensemble, Sō Percussion’s research process for A Gun Show was unique and included a series of VPL residencies starting in the Fall of 2015 dedicated to hunting and interviews with local hunters, sportsmen, and law enforcement officers. VPL is hosting two preview performances at the New England Youth Theater on Friday and Saturday September 23 and 24 at 7pm before the New York premiere at the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Next Wave Festival and a tour through New England.

Westminster West, VT – Interdisciplinary and award-winning choreographer Ann Carlson will be in residency at Vermont Performance Lab (VPL) for two weeks this September to develop a new performance work, Doggie-Hamlet. Carlson’s performance pieces borrow from the disciplines of dance, performance, theater, visual and conceptual art and often dismantle conventional boundaries between artist and subject. Doggie Hamlet is no different: its cast features dancers, musicians, herding dogs, and a flock of sheep.

Vermont Performance Lab presents a shared program of bold new work-in-process by choreographers from Vermont and Montréal, August 13 at 7:00pm

on 02 August 2016.

Brattleboro, Vermont – Choreographers Michael Bodel from Putney, Vermont and Audrée Juteau from Montréal, Québec will have overlapping residencies at Vermont Performance Lab (VPL) this August as part of VPL’s SEED Program, a new initiative that supports regional dance makers with fees and residencies at VPL and Studio 303 in Montréal. Bodel and Juteau are developing new dance works that will be presented in a shared evening as part of VPL’s IN THE WORKS series on Saturday, August 13 at 7:00pm in the Arts Barn at Hilltop Montessori School in Brattleboro, VT.

Choreographer Cynthia Oliver digs into the complexities of race and gender in new dance-theater work, July 29 at 7:30pm

on 12 July 2016.

Guilford, VT – Eclectic and provocative choreographer Cynthia Oliver will be in residency at Vermont Performance Lab (VPL) for two weeks this July to develop a new dance-theater work Virago-Man Dem. Born in the Bronx, NY and raised in the US Virgin Islands, Oliver’s choreography often incorporates textures of Caribbean performance with African and American aesthetic sensibilities. Virago-Man Dem continues this thread and digs into the complexities of the representation of black masculinities through movement, spoken language and visual design.

Vermont Performance Lab and Green Mountain Crossroads join forces to produce an evening celebrating 10 Years of Art-making, Rural Communities and Gay Pride at A Party Under the Stars, Saturday June 25th 8-11pm in Guilford, VT

on 16 June 2016.

Guilford, Vermont – On Saturday June 25th Vermont Performance Lab celebrates its 10th Anniversary Season and Pride by producing A Party Under the Stars. The evening will take place at the newly completed VPL-Guilford Sound campus and will include pop-up performances by an eclectic array of artists who have been part of VPL’s laboratory and a 70s and 80s themed dance party under the stars. The event is part of a weekend of activity celebrating Pride with CineSLAM’s LGBT film festival on Friday June 24th at the Latchis Theater in Brattleboro and A Party Under the Stars that includes a dance party co-sponsored by Green Mountain Crossroads.

Marlboro, VT – Spring in Vermont brings a burst of green mountains, maple syrup, peonies, and the Vermont Performance Lab (VPL) Open Lab event on Saturday, May 28 at Marlboro College in Marlboro, VT. VPL’s Open Lab coincides with the state-wide Open Studio Weekend from the Vermont Craft Council. Started in the mid 1990’s, Open Studio Weekend celebrates the creative process and role that artists play in the vitality of Vermont’s communities by inviting visitors into the studios of artists through self-guided tours happening over the Memorial Day weekend.

Vermont Performance Lab’s 10th Anniversary Season Begins in Partnership with Ghosts and a Dance, April 29

on 14 March 2016.

Northampton, MA – At the launch of its 10th Anniversary Season, Vermont Performance Lab (VPL) partners with The School for Contemporary Dance and Thought (SCDT) in Northampton, MA to co-present a work-in-progress of choreographer Aretha Aoki’s latest work, New, created in collaboration with visual and sound artist Ryan MacDonald.

Vermont Performance Lab to Receive $50,000 Art Works Grant from National Endowment for the Arts

on 10 December 2015.

Guilford, Vermont – For the third year in a row, Vermont Performance Lab (VPL) has been selected to receive a prestigious Art Works grant for $50,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). These grants are awarded to organizations all over the country that are using the power of the arts to transform individuals, spark economic vibrancy in communities, and transcend the boundaries across diverse sectors of society.

“As we celebrate our 10th Anniversary in 2016, all of us at VPL are so pleased and deeply honored to represent our local Vermont community in this important national forum of art makers,” says VPL Director Sara Coffey.

Vermont Performance Lab Raises Visibility of Local Dance Artists through new SEED Program

on 07 December 2015.

Guilford, Vermont – On the cusp of its 10th Anniversary Season, Vermont Performance Lab (VPL) is expanding its creative residency program to provide resources and support for local choreographers. VPL has long prided itself on its model of creative residency that positions artists as vital and inspiring presences in community life. Over the last nine years VPL has supported over 350 artists working in dance, theater, music, and film with residencies that range from focusing on the earliest stages of research to the latest stages of production.

“As VPL turns 10, we are establishing multiple ways to address a growing need in New England for more robust creation support and visibility for our local choreographers,” says VPL Director Sara Coffey.

Vermont Performance Lab Launches SEED Program to support local dance-makers

on 18 September 2015.

Guilford, Vermont – In response to the need for more comprehensive support for New England artists working in dance, Vermont Performance Lab (VPL) is creating The SEED Program in partnership with Studio 303 in Montreal as part of a dance residency exchange between New England and Quebec. This pilot program is designed for local professional artists working in dance, who are living within a 60-mile radius of VPL’s home-base in Guilford, Vermont and are seeking to develop new performance projects for small scale touring.

Vermont Performance Lab presents international, national and local artistsin performances that bring us to unexpected places

Brattleboro, Vermont – A downtown walk choreographed by your smartphone, a hybrid woman-hyena creature from the future, and the simple comfort of white, cotton socks.

All are offered for the entertainment and illumination of those attending the second edition of the Progressive Performance Festival, taking place September 4-6 in downtown Brattleboro, Vermont.

Produced by Vermont Performance Lab, this year’s festival presents three works by critically-acclaimed artists that touch on themes of social justice and cultural memory, and shift the way we relate to our hand-held devices: The Round by Martin Chaput and Martial Chazallon; Schwanze-Beast by Carmelita Tropicana and Ela Troyano; and 2125 Stanley Street by Dahlia Nayar.

VPL'S Open Lab

Marlboro & Guilford, Vermont – In response to the growing community of dance lovers, dance curious, and dance explorers in the Southern Vermont region, Vermont Performance Lab (VPL) will launch its very first Open Lab on Saturday, May 30th located on the campus of Marlboro College in Marlboro, VT. VPL’s fun and informal Open Lab is a one-day event that starts with a festive afternoon picnic followed by open rehearsals, workshop, films and talks. Each year, VPL’s Lab provides artists with residencies and support to research and develop new work in dance, theater, film and music. This year, VPL’s Open Lab swings open the doors of its laboratory and invites audiences of all ages to visit the studios of three award-winning dance artists who are developing new work in VPL’s Lab: Wally Cardona, Beth Gill and Jennifer Monson.

Partnership Around Pride

on 08 April 2015.

VPL, Green Mountain Crossroads and CineSLAMjoin forces to produce a celebration of queerness, diversity, creativity and social justice June 19-21, 2015

Brattleboro & Guilford, VT – Vermont Performance Lab (VPL) has announced that it will be teaming up with two local LGBTQ organizations to produce a full weekend of activities and events as part of the annual Pride Weekend, June 19-21 in Southern Vermont. In partnership with Green Mountain Crossroads and CineSLAM – Vermont’s LGBT Film Festival, VPL will bring performance art icon Carmelita Tropicana and filmmaker Ela Troyano to Vermont to be one of the highlights of Pride Weekend in Vermont. During the festivities, CineSLAM will screen Troyano’s film “Your Kunst is Your Waffen” (“Your Art is Your Weapon”) as part of the 7th Annual CineSLAM Film Festival. On Saturday and Sunday the artists will participate in an afternoon artist talk and Italian–style picnic at the Tree Frog farm in Guilford, and offer a “Writing and Performing Autobiography” workshop to teens and adults.

International Collaboration to Launch Vermont Performance Lab 2015 Season

on 13 March 2015.

Guilford, Vermont – Vermont Performance Lab (VPL) announces its 2015 line up of events comprised of a diverse range of artists, performance experiences and community partnerships. Highlights include VPL’s Open Lab event on Saturday, May 30th featuring a community picnic, open studios, workshops, talks and film and the return of VPL’s Progressive Performance Festival over the Labor Day weekend.

Vermont Performance Lab receives NEA grant

on 04 December 2014.

$50,000 grant supporting VPL's LAB Program brings acclaimed national artists to Vermont for residencies in theater, dance, film and music.

Guilford, Vermont – National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Chairman Jane Chu announced today that Vermont Performance Lab (VPL) is one of 919 nonprofit organizations nationwide to receive an NEA Art Works grant. VPL is pleased to announce that we have been recommended for a $50,000 grant to support our LAB Program.

Dance and Film: in your living room and the woods with California-based choreographer Alex Ketley

on 15 August 2014.

Bellows Falls, VT – California-based choreographer Alex Ketley and dancer Sarah Woods will be engaged in a four week research and development residency at Vermont Performance Lab, with additional support from the Rockingham Arts & Museum Project, to explore Vermont and get to know Vermonters and their relationship to dance. On Thursday, September 11 at 7pm at the Bellows Falls Opera House, Alex Ketley will share a sneak peek of "No Hero Vermont" – a film that captures the artists' travels and adventures in dance in Vermont.

VPL and MIFA partner to present a powerful re-imagining of Le Sacre du Printemps by French choreographer Thierry Thieu Niang on May 28 and 30

on 06 May 2014.

Guilford, VT and Holyoke, MA – Vermont Performance Lab (VPL) and Massachusetts International Festival of the Arts (MIFA) team up in an exciting partnership that will bring French choreographer Thierry Thieû Niang to New England for a three-week residency. Working with adventurous local participants ages 60-100 in Western Massachusetts and Southern Vermont, Niang will workshop a re-imagining of Le Sacre du Printemps by Igor Stravinsky and Vaslav Nijinsky. The workshop will culminate in public showings on Wednesday, May 28th at 7pm at The Serkin Center, Marlboro College in Marlboro, VT and on Friday, May 30th at 7pm at The Hub at Gateway City Arts in Holyoke, MA.

THIS SPRING VPL IS SEEKING MEN AND WOMEN AGES 60-100 TO WORK WITH FRENCH CHOREOGRAPHER THIERRY THIEU NIANG AS PART OF "DU PRINTEMPS"

on 14 April 2014.

Guilford, Vermont – Vermont Performance Lab (VPL) and Massachusetts International Festival of the Arts (MIFA) are teaming up to bring French choreographer Thierry Thieû Niang to New England for a three-week residency to work with 25 local participants ages 60-100 to stage a powerful re-imagining of Igor Stravinsky's Rite of Spring. The residency will culminate in public showings on Wednesday, May 28th at 7pm at The Serkin Center, Marlboro College in Marlboro, VT and on Friday, May 30th at 7pm at Gateway City Arts in Holyoke, MA.

Marlboro, VT— Vermont Performance Lab (VPL) joined forces with Marlboro College to bring writer and performance art icon Alina Troyano (a.k.a. Carmelita Tropicana) to southern Vermont for an in-depth research and development residency to expand her latest work Schwanze-Beast. Last October, Tropicana's residency began with a planning visit that included Tropicana's first Vermont appearance as one of three outrageous judges at the Brattleboro Literary Festival's Literary Death Match event. Since then, Tropicana has visited Vermont for a VPL Lab Talk at Marlboro College with Obie award winning theater director Ain Gordon and to co-teach the "Borders, Boundaries, and Crossings" theater seminar with Marlboro College professor Brenda Foley.

Marlboro, VT— This spring, Marlboro College joins forces with Vermont Performance Lab (VPL) to bring writer and performance art icon Alina Troyano (a.k.a. Carmelita Tropicana) to southern Vermont for an in-depth research and development residency. On Wednesday, February 26, the broader community will have a chance to meet Tropicana through a performative talk (part interview–part performance) with fellow Obie-award winning theater artist Ain Gordon, titled "History Herstory."

Vermont Performance Lab Receives Grant from National Endowment for the Arts to Support Contemporary Dance Creation in Vermont

on 20 December 2013.

One of 895 NEA Art Works Grants Funded Nationwide

Guilford, VT — National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Acting Chairman Joan Shigekawa announced on December 11, 2013 that Vermont Performance Lab is one of 895 nonprofit organizations nationwide to receive an NEA Art Works grant. Vermont Performance Lab is recommended for a $10,000 grant to support research and development residencies and the presentation of new works by three nationally and internationally known choreographers: Sara East Johnson (Brooklyn, NY), Alex Ketley (San Francisco, CA) and Thierry Thieû Niang (Paris, France).

VPL Announces Fall Season + Launches Performance Club

on 16 August 2013.

Guilford, VT – Since 2006, Vermont Performance Lab (VPL) has brought nearly 120 artists of regional, national, and international stature into the small towns of southeastern Vermont to support the development of new contemporary performance through its Lab Program. Now during its 8th Season starting this Fall, VPL audiences have a range of opportunities to participate in new contemporary performance through VPL's IN THE WORKS series featuring Slovak American choreographer Pavel Zuštiak / Palissimo and NYC-based choreographer luciana achugar or through an exciting new venture – the VPL Performance Club.

VERMONT PERFORMANCE LAB JOINS FORCES WITH SANDGLASS THEATER TO PRODUCE A WEEKEND OF THEATER WHERE THE PAST MEETS THE PRESENT

on 16 May 2013.

Brattleboro, VT - Vermont audiences have a unique opportunity to think about the complexities of history and historicizing by experiencing two unique works of theater in one weekend: Not What Happened, a new theater work created by three-time Obie award winning writer/director/performer Ain Gordon that features images created by rural documentary photo artist Forrest Holzapfel of Marlboro VT, and Triangle, a puppet play with music created by Brattleboro-based theater artist Patrick Keppel and New York composer Bradley Kemp.

Choreographer Dahlia Nayar will give audiences a glimpse into her creative process on May 18

Guilford, VT – Vermont Performance Lab's IN THE WORKS series continues with an informal showing of 2125 Stanley Street, a new work being developed by Asian American choreographer Dahlia Nayar. For this new work, Nayar has been investigating ideas of belonging and not belonging, the beauty and challenge of adapting to habitats scattered around the globe in contemporary society and the nature of nostalgia.

VPL's community engagement efforts garner support from Dance/USA's national funding program

Vermont Performance Lab (VPL) was recently selected as one of 20 national recipients in Round Two of Dance/USA's Engaging Dance Audiences (EDA), the first national funding program for audience engagement practices focused specifically on the art form of dance. The selected organizations were chosen from 57 applications through a rigorous review by a national peer panel. VPL's award will support the new VPL Performance Club.

Choreographer Reggie Wilson will lead audience members in transformative sing-a-long for new work

Next month, Vermont Performance Lab (VPL) audiences will have a unique opportunity to participate in a Community Shout with African American choreographer Reggie Wilson and two vocal artists, Rhetta Aleong and Lawrence Harding of his Fist and Heel Performance Group. Community Shouts are stimulating sing-a-longs where participants connect to their rhythmic voices and bodies through tales and songs from Africa, the Caribbean and American south. Wilson, along with the vocal artists Aleong and Harding will lead the Community Shout on Saturday, March 16 at the Broad Brook Grange in Guilford, Vermont.

The Redfern Arts Center at Keene State College and Vermont Performance Lab (VPL) are joining forces to present Niicugni – the latest performance work by Bessie-award winning Native Alaskan choreographer Emily Johnson and Catalyst Dance. Niicugni is the second in a trilogy of performance works related to Johnson's Yup'ik heritage and investigates community, place, memory, and identity and will be performed on Wednesday, February 13 at 7:30 p.m. in the Main Theatre of the Redfern Arts Center. Tickets are $20 for adults; $13 for senior citizens, children, KSC alumni, faculty and staff; and $5 for KSC students. Call the Redfern Box Office at 603-358-2168 or visit www.keene.edu/racbp.

The Redfern Arts Center (RAC) at Keene State College and Vermont Performance Lab (VPL) are joining forces to present Niicugni(Listen) - a new dance performance created by Alaskan-born, Minneapolis-based choreographer Emily Johnson. Niicugni is a new work that is the second in a triology of works that relate to Johnson's Yup'ik heritage and the personal confluences of cultural traditions and contemporary performance work.

VPL and RAMP Host Dinner and a Movie in Bellows Falls, Dec. 12

on 06 December 2012.

The Rockingham Arts and Museum Project (RAMP) and Vermont Performance Lab (VPL) in coordination with the Town of Rockingham's Classic Movie nights are hosting Singing in the Rain, December 12, 2012 at 7 PM at the Bellows Falls Opera House.

Vermont Performance Lab Announces The Hatchery Project

on 12 November 2012.

New multi-site residency partnership benefits Vermont communities

Vermont Performance Lab (VPL) -- in conjunction with The Live Arts Brewery | Philadelphia Live Arts Festival (Philadelphia, PA), Maggie Allesee National Center for Choreography at Florida State University (Tallahassee, FL), and The Chocolate Factory Theater (Long Island City, NY) -- is thrilled to announce The Hatchery Project, a multi-year collaborative residency partnership to support dance and performance artists.

Audience Contributions Inspire Vermont Performance Lab Event

MARLBORO, VT (September 13, 2012) -- The next time Vermont Performance Lab (VPL) audience members attend an IN THE WORKS performance, they may recognize themselves on stage. As part of a residency with VPL, New York choreographer Yanira Castro is developing a new interactive performance piece, The People to Come, using audience-submitted materials as inspiration. Castro will preview the piece during a work-in-progress showing on September, 29 at the Town House in Marlboro, Vermont.

2012/13 Vermont Performance Lab Season Starts September 15

on 31 August 2012.

Minneapolis-based choreographer Karen Sherman kicks off IN THE WORKS performance series

GUILFORD, VT (August 31, 2012) – Vermont Performance Lab (VPL) has released its 2012/13 season of artist residencies and performances for its IN THE WORKS series. The series includes informal showings that allow artists to share early versions of new works, while audiences get a glimpse into the artists' creative process. Minneapolis-based choreographer Karen Sherman will jump start the season with a work-in-progress showing of her newest work, One with Others, on September 15, 2012, in Guilford, Vermont.

GUILFORD, Vermont (May 9, 2012) -- Vermont Performance Lab welcomes the return of experimental percussionists So Percussion to develop their newest work, Where (we) Live. The group will collaborate with New York-based guitarist Grey McMurray and local Vermont artists to provide new influence for their creative process.

New York-Based Theater Artist Digging into Southern Vermont’s History

on 14 November 2011.

Writer/Director/Performer Ain Gordon researches local history as Guilford and Marlboro celebrate 250th anniversary.

GUILFORD, Vermont (November 14, 2011) -- Obie award-winning theater artist Ain Gordon will step away from the spotlight of New York City’s stages and dive into the hidden history behind southern Vermont’s forgotten cellar holes and stone walls as he researches and develops his newest work, Not What Happened.

Vermont Performance Lab Residency to Benefit Local Food Bank

Guilford, VT (July 19, 2011) — Vermont Performance Lab (VPL) is delighted to welcome Los Angeles-based performance artist Dan Froot and New York-based puppet artist Dan Hurlin to their Guilford studio to develop “Who’s Hungry - Santa Monica” – the newest in an ongoing series of puppet plays based on the life stories of hungry and homeless people in Los Angeles. All proceeds from the local performance will benefit the Guilford Food Pantry.

Festival Highlights Progressive Approach to Performance

on 17 May 2011.

Vermont Performance Lab takes audience members on unique evening tour

Guilford, VT (May 17, 2011) -- The Vermont Performance Lab (VPL) has a reputation of promoting artistic experimentation and pushing the expectations of music and dance enthusiasts. Their patented Lab Program offers artists in residency the chance to develop new works and share it with small audiences in a retreat-like setting. But on three nights in June, the work of three emerging choreographers will be the focus of an art tour, that really moves.

Vermont Studio Bridges Gap Between Music and Dance

on 05 May 2011.

May 24 event to explore collaboration in the creative process

Guilford, VT (May 5, 2011) -- Music and dance have a long and intertwined history. Classically, a performance is centered around a single art form, while the other plays a supportive role; think dancers with a band, or pit ensembles with a ballet. However, the work growing out of a rural studio in southern Vermont urges artists to explore their collaboration as the medium. And one husband and wife team is taking the integration of music and dance to new levels with a music studio and creative residency program, called The Vermont Performance Lab (VPL).

Vermont Performance Lab and Marlboro College to host “lab artists” in Embodied Learning: Practices from East and West

Marlboro, Vermont (March 15, 2011) — Two award-winning, cutting-edge artists will travel to the rolling hills of central Windham County next month to offer their unique perspectives on theater and dance, as Marlboro College and Vermont Performance Lab (VPL) host a week-long symposium on the college campus here.